The 5,111 entries submitted to this year’s competition represent a 9 percent increase over the previous year and reflect the ever-expanding spectrum of content and processes.

“The range of subject and technique should not be as surprising as it was (given that we’re living in 2013 where everyone’s phone is a high-res camera connected to the Internet), but I was surprised to see how many different formats, techniques, constructed environments and computer-assisted work were out there,” said juror Emily Lessard.

“The truth of great photography is the person behind the technology,” juror Jay Giesen said. “Their skills and professionalism are what drives true innovation in the craft, and that is clearly evident in this year’s body of work.”

“The images that stood out were powerful,” juror Tim Bruce said. “Like a jolt, it took less than a second to feel a visceral and direct connection, yet those images lingered in the mind for days. They had substance. I expected it to be very difficult to narrow down the selection from the first round to the second, but the good images quickly rose to the top.”

""The more our culture gets inundated by meaningless images, the more the demand will be for people to produce high-quality work.”"